1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device, and more particularly, to a liquid crystal display device and a method for fabricating the same, which can repair an open defect in a data line.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, a liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal panel to display an image by use of electrical and optical characteristics of liquid crystals, and a drive unit to apply a drive signal to the liquid crystal panel.
The liquid crystal panel includes first and second substrates bonded to each other with a predetermined gap therebetween, and a liquid crystal layer formed between the first and second substrates. The fabrication of the liquid crystal panel is generally divided into a thin-film transistor array process to form thin-film transistors on the first substrate, and a color filter array process to form color filters on the second substrate. If the first substrate having a thin-film transistor array is bonded to the second substrate having a color filter array via a cell process such that the liquid crystal layer is interposed between the first and second substrates, the liquid crystal panel is completed.
The completed liquid crystal panel is subsequently subjected to an inspection process, to determine whether or not the liquid crystal panel has a defect. If the liquid crystal panel is determined as a perfect product having no defect, a polarizer is attached to a surface of the liquid crystal panel. Then, by connecting a drive circuit to the liquid crystal panel, the liquid crystal display device is completed.
Here, the inspection process for the liquid crystal panel is performed in such a manner that a test screen is displayed on the liquid crystal panel, so as to detect the presence of defective pixels. In addition, after completing the thin-film transistor array process, it is inspected, using certain equipment, whether or not the completed thin-film transistor substrate has a defect. Representative examples of defects caused in the liquid crystal panel or thin-film transistor substrate include a pixel defect and an open defect in a data line. The pixel defect is represented as a dot form. Therefore, it is difficult for a user to recognize the pixel defect even if several pixel defects occur, and the liquid crystal panel or thin-film transistor substrate is not considered as a defective product. On the other hand, since the open defect in a data line is represented as a line form, the liquid crystal panel or thin-film transistor substrate is considered as a defective product even if only one open-data-line occurs, resulting in a deterioration in the fabrication yield of the liquid crystal display device.